Recreational
America’s First National Preserve, The Big Thicket, is just minutes northeast of Liberty. The 97,000-acre, seven-county Preserve received international attention in 1981 when it was designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations. In 2001, the American Bird Conservancy designated the Preserve as a Globally Important Bird Area. Plants from the gulf Coastal Plains, Eastern Forests, and Central Plains share space with species indicative of swamps and bayous. Cypress swamps are a short distance from pine savannahs and sandhills. Unusual combinations of animals have resulted. Roadrunners watch eastern bluebirds fly to and from their nests in nearby trees. Bears and panthers, though still occasionally spotted, were once common throughout the region, along with many other animals that have disappeared, such as the Jaguar and Ivory-billed woodpecker.
Established in 1994, the Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge serves to protect a portion of the bottomland hardwood forest ecosystem along the Trinity River throughout Liberty County. The River is within the heartland of the Caddo Indian Tribe. Archeological sites on the Refuge point to sedentary and long-term occupation of the area by ancestral Caddo people — a society with a high artistic and architectural tradition which dominated the region for 1,000 years. The Refuge provides important breeding, wintering, and stopover habitat for a variety of migratory wildlife including waterfowl and numerous neotropical songbirds. More than 275 species of birds occur in the bottomland forests and associated wetlands in eastern Texas. The Trinity River National Wildlife Refuge contains over 620 plant species and over 400 vertebrate species. Each year tourists make the journey to Liberty to view the area’s population of swallow-tailed kites and walk through the many forested areas along the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail.
There are a number of parks and rest areas in South Liberty County including a water spray play area at Liberty Municipal Park. In addition to the Trinity River, fishing and other water sport activities may be accessible at nearby Champion Lake, Cypress-Liberty Lakes Resort, and The Retreat at Artesian Lakes, to name a few.
Many Liberty residents are season ticket holders to the Houston Texans (NFL), Houston Rockets (NBA) and Houston Astros (MLB). Top-notch professional golf and tennis events are played in the region each year, and there are professional hockey and soccer teams as well. In addition, Minute Maid Park, Reliant Stadium, Galveston Island, and a host of museums and galleries for children and adults are at Liberty’s doorstep. For those interested in manned space flight, NASA is less than one hour away by car. The Johnson Space Center has interactive displays for young and old, as well as guided tours.
Tourist and residents alike, enjoy the downtown shops filled with items made by local artisans, specialty shops, antiques, jewelry and home furnishings. Seasonal produce can be purchased at the local farmers’ market and fresh seafood is sold at several market places. Be sure to enjoy local cuisine, whether its soul food or just an old-fashion hamburger.
Liberty has 3 hotels with 119 rooms for business and leisure visitors. Rates and services vary according to hotel.